What does sogo shosha do?

Sogo shosha (総合商社, sōgō shōsha, or general trading companies) are Japanese companies that trade in a wide range of products and materials. In addition to acting as intermediaries, sōgō shōsha also engage in logistics, plant development and other services, as well as international resource exploration.

Which is the biggest sogo shosha?

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway recently revealed 5% stakes worth a total of $7 billion in five Japanese giants: Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, and Sumitomo. They are the largest of the country’s “sogo shosha” — general trading companies that engage in a vast range of international business activities.

What is shosha in Japan?

Originally the “SHOSHA” were known as trading companies, and then the term evolved to general trading companies. In the interim however, they have expanded and diversified their functions and business fields to include not only trading, but also investment as well as services and industry development.

What does the term sogo shosha mean how do they help Japanese exporters and what role do they play in countertrade?

What does the term sogo shosha mean? How do they help Japanese exporters and what role do they play in counter-trade? The sogo shosha are basically Japan’s giant trading firms. They use their vast networks of affiliated companies to profitably dispose of goods acquired through counter-trade agreements.

Why did Warren Buffet invest in Japan?

There are 2 other explanations for Buffett’s investment: Japan has seen shareholder-friendly reforms in recent years, leading to better corporate governance, increased productivity, higher dividends, and stronger cash positions.

What Japanese stocks did Warren Buffett buy?

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has scored a $1.4 billion gain on its surprise investment in five Japanese trading houses. The famed investor’s conglomerate disclosed 5% stakes in Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, and Sumitomo at the end of August.

Did Warren Buffet invest in Japan?

Buffett spent about $6 billion taking 5% stakes in five Japanese investment companies including Sumitomo, whose roots date back 430 years. What has become clear since the investments is that the 90-year-old Mr. Buffett and Sumitomo have something in common beyond a venerable history.

What did Warren Buffett buy in Japan?

What Japanese companies did Buffett buy?

What is a disadvantage of barter as a countertrade arrangement?

What is a disadvantage of barter as a countertrade arrangement? Multiple Choice It is a very complex arrangement. If goods are exchanged simultaneously, one party ends up financing the other. Firms engaged in barter run the risk of having to accept goods they do not want or cannot use.

What does the word zaibatsu mean?

Zaibatsu, (Japanese: “wealthy clique”), any of the large capitalist enterprises of Japan before World War II, similar to cartels or trusts but usually organized around a single family. All zaibatsu owned banks, which they used as a means for mobilizing capital.

What did Buffett buy in Japan?

Here’s a closer look at the five Japanese stocks Buffett is buying:

• Mitsubishi Corp. (MSBHF)
• Mitsui & Co. (MITSY)
• Sumitomo Corp. (SSUMY)
• Itochu Corp. (ITOCY)
• Marubeni Corp. (MARUY)

What did the sogo shosha do for Japan?

The sogo shosha, Japan’s general trading companies, are regarded as a key element in the country’s rapid economic growth after World War II and its great success in international trade.

Who are some famous people from Sogo shosha?

When trade resumed in 1950, the first diversified trading companies emerged as Kansai region -based textile traders (most notably Itochu, Marubeni, Toyo Cotton and Nichimen) and steel traders (most notably Iwai and Nissho, which later merged to form Nissho Iwai) diversified into new business lines.

How many sogo shosha are in the Fortune 500?

In 1996, all nine sōgō shōsha could be found in the top 40 of the Global Fortune 500 with five of the first six spots on the list being held by sōgō shōsha.

Who is Patrick Ryan, sogo shosha research analyst?

The first 12 articles are about Japanese general trading companies, or sōgō shōsha. Patrick Ryan is a senior analyst engaged in global industry research in the Marubeni Research Institute, the research arm of Marubeni Corp. He has previously worked in International HR and International Corporate Strategies for Marubeni.